Australian supporters of marriage equality have picketed the electorate office of Opposition leader Tony Abbott to mark the signing into law of same-sex marriage by French President Francois Hollande.

Over 120 people gathered today outside Abbott’s Manly electorate office to highlight the fact that Australia is increasingly out of step with its international peers, with same-sex marriage legislation passing in New Zealand last month and France becoming the 14th country to allow same-sex couples.

The Church of England has agreed the marriage equality law will protect it from legal challenges in the future.

In a briefing before the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill is discussed House of Commons on Monday (20 May), the Church said while they cannot support the bill, they do agree the government has ‘good intentions’.

A quadruple lock, which protects the Church of England as the state religion, states no religious organization or minister will be compelled to marry gay couples.

UK civil partnerships could be granted to straight couples, after senior minister Maria Miller acknowledged there should be a ‘review’ into the future of the unions.

Last night (16 May), the culture secretary and equalities minister said after lobbying by members of parliament over the status of civil partnerships, the government will ‘formally review’ their future.

Miller is opposed to giving civil partnerships to straight couples, which she has called ‘not a requirement’.

Portugal’s Parliament has voted in favour of limited gay and lesbian adoption.

The new law will allow those in same-sex couples to adopt their partner’s biological or adopted child.

Ruling Social Democratic Party (SDP) supported the bill along with the Socialist Party (SP). It won with 99 votes in favour to 94 against with nine absentees.

Although same-sex marriage has been legal in Portugal since 2010 the new law will not allow same-sex married couples to adopt a child together.

Veteran LGBT rights advocate, Peter Tatchell said that the UK Equalities Minister, Maria Miller, is wrong to reject heterosexual civil partnerships.

He stated that the ban on heterosexual couples amounts to discrimination and that the minister defies public consultation, which backed straight equality.

‘The government’s decision to oppose the legalization of civil partnerships for heterosexual couples is hugely disappointing.

A local court in Milan has recognized a British civil partnership – the first time Italy has legally recognized a gay union from abroad.

Now the civil union between Cristian, a biologist, and Federico, an IT specialist, will be added to the Milan’s Registro delle Unioni Civili, a list of same-sex couples put in place by left-wing mayor Giuliano Pisapia.

The decision of the tribunal does not mean that Cristian and Federico’s civil partnership is now recognized by Italy.

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton officially signed gay marriage into law Tuesday (14 May) during a spirited ceremony on the steps of the statehouse attended by thousands of cheering supporters.

'What a day for Minnesota,' Dayton said. 'And what a difference a year and an election can make.'

The governor pointed out that last year, there was concern that same-sex marriage might be banned forever in the state. But the referendum was defeated last November and 'now my signature will make it legal in two-and-a-half months.'

British gay singer/songwriter Mika will headline a free Paris to celebrate marriage equality in France.

According to French newspaper La Parisienne, Mika will headline the Long Live Equality concert to celebrate France’s gay marriage law that passed last month, and to reaffirm the importance of fighting homophobia.

After more than four hours of debate, the Minnesota State Senate passed a bill that will make their state the 12th in the US to make gay marriage legal.

The bill passed by a margin of 37-30.

Minnesota is the first state legislature in the Midwest to pass marriage equality as gay marriages became legal in Iowa through the courts. Governor Mark Dayton will sign the bill into law on the steps of the capitol on Tuesday (14 May).

As Minnesota state senators spent four hours debating a gay marriage bill Monday (13 May), St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman had already decided on a way to celebrate the passage of the legislation.

Coleman has temporarily renamed his city's Washaba Street Bridge the Freedom to Marry Bridge for this week.

'Marriage equality here we come,' Coleman tweeted as he announced the temporary name.

The bridge spans the Mississippi River in the downtown part of the city and was built with pedestrians in mind with 11-foot-wide sidewalks.

The US House of Representatives has issued its first ever spousal ID to the same-sex partner of a member of Congress.

Democratic Representative Mark Pocan’s husband Philip Frank received the ID on April 26 after the House of Representatives Sergeant At Arms informed Pocan that his husband was now eligible to receive a spousal ID.

Previously Philip Frank had had to use a ‘designee’ ID which merely recognized him as a guest of Pocan’s in the House of Representatives.

A bed and breakfast travel lodge in New Zealand is facing a backlash after it turned away a lesbian couple for wanting to share a bed.

The Pilgrim Planet Lodge in Whangarei turned away Jane Collison, 30, and Paula Knight, 45, on Tuesday after telling them that only a room with single beds was available despite their having booked a room with a king-sized bed.

The couple offered to take the room but wanted to push the beds together but was told they would not be allowed to do that either.